


Yours and Not Yours

by JackOfNone



Category: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: Bodyswap, F/M, Final Fantasy Valentine's Day Meme, Ghosts, Possession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-28
Updated: 2009-11-28
Packaged: 2017-10-03 23:09:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackOfNone/pseuds/JackOfNone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward has another chance with Anna, in an unexpected and slightly unnerving way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yours and Not Yours

"No."

"Why not?" She sounded disappointed. It was the first time Edward could ever remember refusing her. Even now, with a body pressed against him that was slender and pale and unmistakably not hers, it was a difficult thing to say.

"Because it's..." he faltered, looking into Rosa's regal face lit up by Anna's impish smile. Half an hour ago he would have given anything to see that smile again, and now here he was pushing her away. Or something like her, perhaps. It was all very confusing. "I don't...I don't think it's _proper_."

"Proper!" Rosa -- Anna -- _someone_ said, running long, unfamiliar fingers through his hair. "You weren't so proper, back then."

"It's been a long time." One arm snaked around his waist; he wanted to tell her to go, but the words stuck in his throat. "Things have changed." _You died_, he stopped himself from adding. _You died and every time I saw you after, I thought I was dreaming._ "And Rosa--"

"Rosa," the woman chuckled close by his ear, "wants us to be happy. Do you think I'm here uninvited?"

Edward bit his lip. "Are you sure that's what she had in mind?"

"You can ask her, if you want."

"Anna!" Edward said, burying his face in his hands and coloring bright red, "I can't possibly ask the Queen of Baron a question like that!"

"Suit yourself." Anna said, and Rosa's arms slid away from him. When he turned around, she was perched on the edge of his bed with her white robe pooling around her feet. Anna had never liked wearing white. She had been quite happy to hear that queens of Damcyan were married in gold.

He had laid his lute aside on his bed when she had knocked on the door; now, she picked it up gently and laid it on her knees, admiring the smooth curve of the wood. "I suppose you're right. Rosa and I should work out more of the details." If he had any lingering doubts that he was indeed speaking to the girl he loved, this laid them to rest -- it was just like her to speak so casually about something as unthinkably monumental as cheating death by riding around in the body of another woman.

There were so many things he wanted to say.

"I can see you're about to apologize," she said. "Don't. If there's one thing I don't regret, it's how I died." She plucked one of the strings, and it rang with a clear, silvery note. "Somehow, it turned out that we have a second chance, and I'd rather not spend it dwelling on the past." With a grin, she held out the lute. "If you don't want to finish up our wedding night, I seem to remember you were writing a song for me. It was supposed to be a surprise for after we were married. Did you ever finish it?"

"Yes," Edward said, taking the lute from her hands. "Of course." He'd finished it, but never played it -- he'd written it for the ears of a girl who was alive.

"I've been wanting to hear it," she said, rising to her feet and sliding the silver pins out of her long, golden hair. "I hope it's a good song for dancing."

Anna never wore white, but it suited Rosa beautifully as she danced barefoot across the floor, exactly like another girl had done when the moon was high in the sky and the desert sands were dark and still.


End file.
